Wrapping apparatus



June 9, 1959 n. ANDERSON WRAPPING APPARATUS S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed' 001;. 22, 1957 .INVENIOR DALE L. ANDERSON ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 D. L. ANDERS'ON 2,889,672

WRAPPING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fired Oct. 22 1957 INVENTOR DALE L. ANDERSON ATTORNEY June 9, 1959 0. L. ANDERSON WRAPPING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 22. 1957 FIG.4.

INVENTOR DALE L. ANDERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent WRAPPING APPARATUS Dale L. Anderson, Levittown, Pa., dedicated to the public Application October 22, 1957, Serial No. 691,781

1 Claim. (Cl. 58-33) (Granted under title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of Amerrca.

The patent rights for the United States in any invention in the patent to be granted on this application are dedicated to the public.

This invention relates to the wrapping of articles with a transparent heat-sealing film.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for sealing the heat-sealing film, after an article has been wrapped therein, so that no damage is caused to the wrapped article by the heating element.

To more fully understand this invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a three dimensional view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the wrapping of an article;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of the heat-sealing step in the use of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 relates to a wrapping procedure in the use of this invention; and

Fig. 5 relates to a variation in the Wrapping procedure.

The frame of the apparatus comprises a rectangular base plate and a longitudinal upright portion 11. An extending arm 12 is pivotally attached to longitudinal upright portion 11 by means of a pivot 13. This extended arm is supported by a tension spring 14 which extends diagonally from the middle of the extended arm to the top of the longitudinal upright portion of the frame and is secured at its termini by means of hook eyes 15 and 16. Tension spring 14 is prevented from retracting the extended arm upwards by means of a stop 17.

A roll of heat-sealing wrapping film 18 is mounted onto the apparatus by placing it on a rotatable base 19 which is attached to the longitudinal upright portion 11. Affixed to the end of the extended arm and perpendicular thereto is a free-end support 20 which is constructed of a low heat conductive material such as hardwood secured to the extending arm 12 by a spring steel support allowing some vertical movement up and down of the support 20.

This free-end support is placed so that it is directly above the surface face 21 of the heating anvil 22 which is supported on base 10. Temperature of the heating anvil is electrically controlled by means of a conventional rheostat 23, said rheostat obtaining its current by means of a conventional electric extension cord 24. The heating anvil has attached to it a cutting edge 25 for the purpose of cutting the heat-sealing film after an adequate sealing has taken place.

2,889,672 Patented June 9, 1959 Attached to the extended arm 12 directly opposite and below the free-end support is a pressure plate 26 for manually pushing the extended arm into contact with the surface face of the heated anvil.

The apparatus may be used for wrapping many articles such as bananas, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, ears of corn, etc.

The apparatus may be used as follows:

The article to be wrapped 28 is placed on top and parallel to the free-end support (see Fig. 2). The heatsealing wrapping film is then grasped from roll 18 and pulled under the free-end support, over the article to be wrapped, under the free-end support and then between the free-end support and the article to be wrapped. This operation provides an overlapping portion of the film below the free-end support at 29. In this operation one is able to hold the film in place by a slight downward pressure on the article. To tighten the wrapping, the film leading from the roll is grasped and pulled backwards. To furnish the heat-seal (see Fig. 3) the extended arm is manually pushed downward until the free-end support is pressed into contact with the surface of the heated anvil. The film is then manually pulled downward against the cutting edge cutting ofi the film adjacent to the seal. The extended arm is then allowed to spring slowly back to position to remove the support from the anvil and the wrapped article is slipped ofi the free end of the support.

Another Wrapping procedure in the use of the apparatus (see Fig. 4) is to place the article to be wrapped on top of and parallel to the free-end support. An end of the heat-sealing film is manually placed between the article to be wrapped and the free-end support. The roll of heat-sealing film is then unrolled, under the freeend support, over the article to be wrapped and then under the free-end support. This procedure provides an overlapping portion of film 29 beneath the free-end support. The sealing and removal of the wrapped article are then carried out in the same manner as described above.

A variation in the wrapping procedure (see Fig. 5) may be as follows:

The article to be wrapped is placed on top of and parallel to the free-end support. An end of the heatsealing film is manually placed between the free-end support and the article to be wrapped. The roll of heatsealing film is unrolled following a counter-clockwise direction over the article to be wrapped and under the free-end support. As initially a surplusage of heat-sealing film is laid on the free-end support the above procedure provides an overlapping portion of film at 29 beneath the free-end support. The sealing and removal of the wrapped article were then carried out in the same manner as described above.

I claim:

A wrapping process comprising: placing an article to be wrapped on top of a free-end support of heat insulating material, pulling heat-sealing wrapping film under the free-end support, over the article to be wrapped and under the free-end support, to provide an overlapping portion of the film, pressing the free-end support into contact with a heated anvil to seal the overlapping portion of the film, removing the support from the anvil, and slipping the film wrapped article ofif the free end of the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,672 Rumsey Apr. 21, 1953 

